Amateur or Professional Portrait Photography? Is There Really a Difference?

What’s the difference between an amateur picture and professional portrait photography? Could you tell the difference? Apart from the obvious fact that professional photography is rarely free, amateur photos usually don’t do justice to showing off your best side. 

Professional photographers are skilled at making people feel at ease with their appearance and bringing out their subject’s best qualities. Are you looking for something versatile, that you can use both on professional networking and casual social media sites? Or perhaps you’re after an up to date photo for a personal show reel? You cannot go wrong with a professional photo as it’s worth every penny.

When it comes to professional networks especially, projecting a confident and… well… professional image is extremely important. Professional networks are mostly used by prospects looking for a job or keeping in touch with clients. In other words, a high-quality photo could pay off with a contract or a pay rise. 

Yet we’ve all witnessed notorious LinkedIn profile faux pas when someone’s photo is clearly taken during a night out or they are using a selfie. But the launch of Facebook for Work can take this to a whole new level. You might think we are a bit biased as the largest network of professional photographers in the UK, but the numbers don’t lie! We ran a survey of 2,000 people and found one in four would be embarrassed if their boss saw their profile picture. Sad times.

On the other hand, people seem to hold onto a good picture for as long as possible. The average LinkedIn photo is 2.1 years old and the main reason people keep their photos the same is that they struggle to find new ones that they are happy with (62%). 

That’s where we at Bidvine came into the picture! Braving the chilly autumn weather, we partnered up with some of our top portrait photographers to provide free professional portrait photography to a few lucky applicants. 

The free photography event took place from October 10th to 14th by London’s techie centrum, the Silicone Roundabout of Old Street. So without further ado, we’ll let the results speak for themselves.

Jack: ‘I wanted to get my photo taken professionally because I didn’t have any images of just me.’

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Linsday: ‘I wanted a photo that was more professional for social media, rather than one taken on a night out! Good lighting helps!’

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Vix:  ‘I was looking for a professional photo for my LinkedIn profile. I work as a business coach and it’s important for clients to be able to see my photo.’

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Neil: ‘I was really interested [in getting my photo taken professionally] because I was conscious that my current photo may not be giving the best impression. I really needed an update.’

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Lisa:  ‘I wanted a photo done because I’ve never had a professional photo done, and I generally dislike photos. I never know how to look or what to do with myself!’

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Jayne:  ‘It’s important to me to have a nice and current profile photograph which is updated regularly. I felt my current one was outdated as it was a few years old and I’ve changed my hair colour from red to blonde since. I was worried that clients wouldn’t recognise me from my LinkedIn profile anymore!’

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Dawn: ‘The reason I was interested in getting my photo taken professionally was that I am trying to move to a more professional brand/image. When I opened my Facebook and Twitter accounts, I was doing travel writing and my pictures reflect that. But now I am focusing on the translation side of my business, so I want to project a more professional image.’

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Caleb:  ‘The main reason I wanted to get a new photo was to update it as the current one is two years old. In addition, I felt a professional photographer would be able to produce a shot which conveys the right image to my clientele.’

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Due to huge demand, we even extended our portrait photography hours on Friday! But If you didn’t get to visit our buzzing pop up photo stand, worry not! Submit a request for portrait photography, and we’ll match you up with up to five amazing photographers in your area. You can sit back, relax, and pick the professional whose portfolio you like the best! All you have to worry about is to make sure you don’t have a toothpaste stain on photo day!